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EDUCATION

New! Improved! It’s School!

In an age of media saturation and ubiquitous advertising, some schools are trying professional marketing campaigns to sell the notion that 'school is cool.'

By Peg Tyre | Newsweek Web Exclusive
Nov 26, 2007 | Updated: 12:46  p.m. ET Nov 26, 2007

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  • Posted By: SarahOFarrell @ 01/28/2008 2:49:22 PM

    Comment: It's about time the tools of marketing were out to really good use. Re-branading education isn't about pulling the wool over childrens' eyes, it's about communicating to them that school and study is a means towards realising value-based goals. Basically there are a few fundamental threads that unite the collective human psyche, be they a desire to achieve, to care for loved ones, to gain recogition and respect, experience contentment etc.. It is simply a matter of finding what motivates these kids and communicating to those who would traditionally turn away from schooling, that education, in all its forms, can enable them to achieve to much. The biological and physcogenic needs are unwavering, we just have to shift the demand for actions that fulfil these needs away from truant behaviour, towards a longing for self-development.

  • Posted By: jriggins777_3 @ 12/31/2007 12:24:01 PM

    Comment: Whatever happened to parenting?

  • Posted By: silence @ 12/17/2007 8:00:24 PM

    Comment: We should re-name this "no child may excel"

  • Posted By: silence @ 12/17/2007 7:59:35 PM

    Comment: we should re-name this "no child may excel"

  • Posted By: Bill from Wisconsin @ 12/10/2007 10:35:47 PM

    Comment: Kids see about 500 ads a day, what's one more, and to what effect by comparison. So, add one more and lets see what happens.

  • Posted By: mrrod @ 12/10/2007 3:41:44 PM

    Comment: The seeking of "magic dust" to solve the education problem continues. Accountability of teachers is the battle cry but what about the accountbility of parents? Business complains about the quality of potential employee coming out of the schools in the same breath that they ask for a ta abatement. Senior citizens voice that they have already done their share when the y had kids.

    The bottom line is that whether we find a solution or not, today's children will be the future of this country. They will be doctors, lawyers, mechanics clerks or whatever. Instead o wanting to invest in the futeure, we want the lowest bid mentality to dominate. If schoolls do good - cut their funds. If schools are doing bad - cut their funds. Well from where I stand we are cutting now inot the bone and we are weakening the structure so that it may collapse. Invest money inot making schools that offer realistic subjects that while interst kids also afford us the opportunity to teach the core materials. It is time to stop looking for fat, lobby fed politicans to solve the problems,; ask a teacher, they just might know what will work. And by the way, if teacher's unions were so powerful why do we ear what we earn?

  • Posted By: mrrod @ 12/10/2007 3:40:06 PM

    Comment: The seeking of "magic dust" to solve the education problem continues. Accountability of teachers is the battle cry but what about the accountbility of parents? Business complains about the quality of potential employee coming out of the schools in the same breath that they ask for a ta abatement. Senior citizens voice that they have already done their share when the y had kids.

    The bottom line is that whether we find a solution or not, today's children will be the future of this country. They will be doctors, lawyers, mechanics clerks or whatever. Instead o wanting to invest in the futeure, we want the lowest bid mentality to dominate. If schoolls do good - cut their funds. If schools are doing bad - cut their funds. Well from where I stand we are cutting now inot the bone and we are weakening the structure so that it may collapse. Invest money inot making schools that offer realistic subjects that while interst kids also afford us the opportunity to teach the core materials. It is time to stop looking for fat, lobby fed politicans to solve the problems,; ask a teacher, they just might know what will work. And by the way, if teacher's unions were so powerful why do we ear what we earn?

  • Posted By: camy @ 12/08/2007 11:52:27 AM

    Comment: Teaching? Teachers are expected to pour information into the brain without effort from the community. Parents need to get involved in the school, anyway they can, in lunchroom duty to theatrearts to sports. Anything.! In my district, 100 teachers completed the National certification which involes 400 hours of more schooling than teachers are already burdened with. And they get a bonus. Now, the state wants to take that away. Why pay a teacher to get additional education? Our sosciety needs to pay CEO's who corrupt their company into the ground and we reward them with more money. Where are our values? In the bottom line.!

  • Posted By: tkshowers @ 12/03/2007 12:31:36 PM

    Comment: If you want to get rid of antiquated teaching don't get rid of tenure and unions, get rid of the politicians who make tests, require teachers to teach certain material to all students, believe that every student should achieve at the same level and think that it is possible for a teacher to be accountable for student learning when no one else is. Give money to schools instead of military contractors. Make parents accountable for their children. Don't worry about indifference amongst teachers, change the indifference in society about eduction. Docloc, how about you change society so they celebrate academics instead of pro sports! That would be a great solution. You spout a lot of nonsense about unions and tenure, but those are also the only things that allow some great teachers to teach the way that they know works and interests students without the fear of losing their jobs. The problem is not simple and it won't change until the public cares as much about education as the teachers and administrators who spend their lives trying to make a difference.

  • Posted By: tkshowers @ 12/03/2007 12:30:49 PM

    Comment: If you want to get rid of antiquated teaching don't get rid of tenure and unions, get rid of the politicians who make tests, require teachers to teach certain material to all students, believe that every student should achieve at the same level and think that it is possible for a teacher to be accountable for student learning when no one else is. Give money to schools instead of military contractors. Make parents accountable for their children. Don't worry about indifference amongst teachers, change the indifference in society about eduction. Docloc, how about you change society so they celebrate academics instead of pro sports! That would be a great solution. You spout a lot of nonsense about unions and tenure, but those are also the only things that allow some great teachers to teach the way that they know works and interests students without the fear of losing their jobs. The problem is not simple and it won't change until the public cares as much about education as the teachers and administrators who spend their lives trying to make a difference.

  • Posted By: docloc @ 12/01/2007 11:17:43 AM

    Comment: It's the antiquated teaching that sucks. It's not learning it's the tenure and indiference that the whole school system abides by that makes school such a trudging experience. Change the curriculum update the programs by bringing it into the 21st century and get rid of the unions and tenure, thses things make educational facilites intolerable since teachers (most if not all) just don't care bec ause administration doesn't, it all seems to come down from the top!!!!!!

  • Posted By: AdenaD @ 12/01/2007 2:25:54 AM

    Comment: Want kids to appreciate school? All you need is good parenting and good teachers, not some multi-million dollar ad campaign. Give me a break. What is this, PSA 2.0? Take that money and give it to the teachers, not an ad agency.

  • Posted By: AdenaD @ 12/01/2007 2:25:22 AM

    Comment: Want kids to appreciate school? All you need is good parenting and good teachers, not some multi-million dollar ad campaign. Give me a break. What is this, PSA 2.0? Take that money and give it to the teachers, not an ad agency.

  • Posted By: ColbyCheese @ 11/30/2007 11:08:09 AM

    Comment: Forcing children to toil away in sweatshops, threatening them with violence, and taking away all their toys is not really going to help children appreciate school. They need to be taught to appreciate school. The sad implication here is that mass media has more of an effect on most people's children then they themselves do. That is really the core issue. Think of the things that a TV "tells" children. Buy! Kill! Sex! Buy! Would you let a real person like that watch your kids?

    Having said that, if you don't have enough (billions) to start a REAL ad campaign, then you might as well not bother. The competition from the cereal people alone will drown your efforts out.

  • Posted By: glam @ 11/30/2007 1:54:28 AM

    Comment: This is not the way to deal with this problem. Every child who does not want to go to school should be sent off to work. In a factory, weaving baskets, washing dishes, crimping shrimps. Then these spoiled kids will understand what the value of an education is.

    Giving things is not the answer. Taking away makes you realize the value of the gift.

    Once they decide, "Mom, Dad, instead of painting spinning tops for export to other countries, can I go to school tomorrow for a change - what do you think?", THEN is the time to send them with their lunchbags to school.

    An education needs an educated mindset. For those who want to be illiterate, let them be.

  • Posted By: MattyD @ 11/26/2007 3:27:10 PM

    Comment: If you give a mouse a cookie... What happens when the cell phones are taken away? Are these kids going to be more motivated past that point?

    In my opinion promotion of good healthy activities shouldn???t be through coercion. Now if this plan figures out where the kids are in the adaptation cycle and then targets them specifically, then maybe it will work. In all reality, I think it???s the equivalent of giving ice cream for a goal, or $100 for a 3.5gpa.

  • Posted By: MattyD @ 11/26/2007 3:08:52 PM

    Comment: if you give a mouse a cookie...

  • Posted By: bicoastal @ 11/26/2007 2:53:35 PM

    Comment: I apologize for posting twice; I didn't realize that the first comment was printed.

  • Posted By: bicoastal @ 11/26/2007 2:49:58 PM

    Comment: Where are the parents? Desperate times call for desperate measures, but where do the dropouts gather? Personal care is a way to go, whether one on one, or small groups; counselors lose a constant war when there is no parental support, and the children go home from school after hearing and observing all of the positives, to a blank and violent wall. Where are the parents? What do they say? Teachers from early primary grades can spot which children will succeed, and which will be abusers, dropouts, violent young people, and it's painful to see (I am a retired primary grades teacher from an upper middleclass upbringing and school district with transfer and illegal enrollment children whose parents are desperate to put their children into a "good" district). Where are the parents? grandparents? extended family? Way too many children are raised by family members other than their parents who were early teenagers giving birth...children bearing children. Try anything, almost. To prod children and to tempt them into learning by providing more material possessions is counter-productive in my mind. Is that the means to an end? And we have also over-used the terms and conditions of "self-esteem". Where are the parents? And how do we counter the argument and excuse that the gang-involved children say, which is "Why bother? Why not? I'll be dead before I'm 18 anyhow !" What can our nation, aside from NCLB, do? Show our teens how other children in 3rd world nations are so underprivileged, but terribly desirous to learn and to live! Where are the parents?

    • Posted By: glam @ 11/30/2007 01:58:35

      Comment: Tell those gang kids, "Oh, so you don't want to live past 18? Ok, no problem. Just make sure you write out a will for those $450 Nike shoes before you decide to check out."

      That will get their attention faster than a bullet.

      For kids who have the attitude "Why Life?" counter it with, "Yes, why Life? Why not death? Being a vegetable is so cool. Plus, there will be more food and money for nike shoes to go around. So, sure - Why Life."

      Such children ought to be sent to bed without any supper (no spanking).

  • Posted By: demosthenes24 @ 11/26/2007 2:46:04 PM

    Comment: I think this is a wonderful idea. As to where the parents are, educators don't always have the luxury of asking that question because in many cases, the parents have the same attitudes about education. I have always thought that since there is money in businesses, that businesses should take over more of the school. And before you start to think that it is dangerous or bad, think of every school scoreboard you have ever seen.

  • Posted By: bicoastal @ 11/26/2007 2:39:55 PM

    Comment: Where are the parents??????? Counselors in schools (middle and upper) are helpless , oftentimes, without the support of the parents! In early primary education, it's easy to see which children are not going to make it, which are too hip-hop, which are abused, which are neglected, which are leaders, which aren't even going to be followers. Inner city children have been quoted as saying, in re gangs etc., "why bother; I'm not even going to live to be 18!" and so the warfare and neglect and abuse continue. What a sad situation! Solutions? ...not sure; try anything? Almost okay! Where are the parents???????

    • Posted By: J / Canada @ 12/03/2007 17:12:57

      Comment: Everyone can stop looking for the parents. Because they are not there. As long as we continue to allow babies to have babies and pay for their upbringing, we will continue to look fruitlessly for the parents. By the time children have reached school age, the novelty of parenthood has worn off.

 
 
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